The Spiral Jetty is a large sculpture created and constructed in 1970 by the American sculptor, Robert Smithson. Part of the impact of the art piece comes from its setting in the desert at the northern end of the Great Salt Lake. This part of the lake has a higher salt concentration than the southern portion and supports bacteria and algae that give the water a red tinge. The nearby abandoned drilling operation, sparse vegetation and scattered dark basalt boulders provide a stark backdrop to the piece.

Since its construction, the lake levels have risen and receded a few times. At one point the jetty sparkled white from a crust of salt that covered all the rocks. As of the taking of this photo, the salt crust has broken away and the jetty again appears as it did shortly after construction with its black boulders and surrounding gray sand.

Here at Rozel Point, a 3 million year old lava flow was exposed and undercut by erosion so that it broke up and scattered down the hill as boulders. The same basalt flow trapped lakeside oil deposits a few hundred yards to the east. It was here that the ruins of old drilling rigs were located at the time of the jetty's construction but have since been cleared away. A long series of pilings is all that marks the former drilling site. Apparently crude oil still bubbles up from below and seeps into the water.

Utah is a state located in the westcentral region of the United States of America. Utah is the 13th largest state by area, ranks 34th by population and 10th by population density of the 50 United States. Utah was the 45th state to be admitted into the Union, on January 4, 1896. Utah is landlocked, being bordered by the states of Idaho to the north, Wyoming to the northeast, Nevada on the west, Colorado on the east and Arizona to the south. Utah is very mountainous and is a popular outing destination of the outdoorsman. The state population is about 2.82M with 95% being Caucasian, 2.4% Asian, 1.7% Native American and 1.3% Black. The state capital and largest city is Salt Lake City.Source: wikipedia

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